RAS question
India's investment in which port gives it access to Afghanistan and Central Asia without passing through Pakistan?
Correct answer: (D) Chabahar Port.
India's investment in Iran's Chabahar Port gives it access to Afghanistan and Central Asia without passing through Pakistan.
Explanation
Chabahar Port is the answer because it is the Iranian port through which India builds connectivity westward without relying on a route through Pakistan. India's investment in Chabahar provides the route to Afghanistan and Central Asia while bypassing Pakistan. The Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways supports the same strategic logic for Central Asia: India is working to unlock trade potential with the Central Asian region through Chabahar Port in Iran, and Shahid Beheshti Port at Chabahar is part of a multi-modal logistical corridor under the INSTC vision. For RAS, the key is to connect the port name with India's Pakistan-bypass access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Gwadar Port is not India's investment route for accessing Afghanistan and Central Asia.
- (B) Bandar Abbas Port is an Iranian port, but Chabahar, not Bandar Abbas, is the relevant Indian connectivity route.
- (C) Duqm Port is not linked to India's Pakistan-bypass access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
Concept
This tests the Current Affairs and International Relations theme of strategic connectivity, especially India's use of ports and corridors to reach landlocked regions. It recurs in RAS because port-led connectivity links geography, diplomacy and regional security in one factual frame.